TBT: Six marketing leaders talk simplicity

Behind every brand delivering simpler experiences for customers is a leader who recognizes the inherent value in keeping things simple.

Last year I interviewed marketing leaders and founders of brands that have performed well in our Global Brand Simplicity Index to better understand their views on simplicity. Here is what these “simplifiers” had to say.

We think a lot about how we reduce friction and pain for users. All the complexity can be behind the scenes, but the user experience should be simple. We need to get people what they’re looking for fast. Simplicity is a core part of that promise.

Simplicity is at the core of every decision we make…If you don’t have clarity of purpose, and you aren’t clear on your brand differentiator, then you get people who are trying to create simplicity but are moving in different directions. That doesn’t feel simple to the customer. Purpose needs to guide every decision you make.

Simplicity is critical to us for a couple of reasons. If you add complexity in terms of rules and regulations for employees, it makes them less productive and friendly—and that impacts the customer experience. As an operator, we want to be as simple as possible because complexity adds cost, which affects our ability to operate.

I lead as a simplifier by setting clear goals, communicating frequently and in an empowering way, and empowering everyone on my team to be a part of the solution… We need the best ideas, and we need highly engaged employees to develop them. Through empowering folks to make decisions, we can create better, simpler customer experiences.